


Destined

by shimi_shimi_koko_bop



Category: Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020)
Genre: Boy Love, College, Cute, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Gay, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:53:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23227402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shimi_shimi_koko_bop/pseuds/shimi_shimi_koko_bop
Summary: The tale of how Karthik and Aman fell in love in college.
Relationships: Kartik Singh/Aman Tripathi
Comments: 59
Kudos: 108





	1. Elysian

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first chapter and is basically an introduction to the characters.

It had been a few months since college started and Aman Tripathi had pretty much settled into his new life in Delhi. He had grown up in Allahabad where his large family stayed. He had always been an above average student academically,and had managed to bag admission in one of the top universities in Delhi. He was grateful for the chance to finally be able to move away from his noisy, overprotective family and be independent. What he hadn't expected though, was how much he would he miss them, especially his mother and sister.  
He had made two friends, Rehan and Lavanya, which was more than enough for him. Aman was an introvert and more often than not, preferred being alone with his books. In fact, you would never find him without a book or two in his hands. Ever since he was a child, he had felt more at home with books and words than with other beings.  
Though at first glance, he seemed unapproachable or even rude, once you got to know him, he was actually a sweet and fun guy. He was also a loyal friend and a true-hearted person. And if you hung around him long enough to form a close friendship (which could take a while), he'd gladly move mountains for you without a second thought. He'd been taken advantage of in the past due to this quality, and it was one of the reasons he had trust issues. His life now revolved only around his close friends, his books and his academics. He didn't care about the rest of the world.

Now as he walked towards the college building, his heard his name called out. He looked towards the source of it and found Lavanya and Rehan seated on the bench under a tree waving at him. He walked over to them and sat down.  
Lavanya was the person he'd sat down next to on the very first day of college. He'd soon discovered that she was an extremely talkative person. She had latched on to him since then, had asked for his number and insisted they sit together again the next day. He was, by nature a quiet person while she never ran out of things to talk about; so he could do what he was best at, which was listening. It was one of the reasons he enjoyed her company.  
Rehan had rented Aman's neighbouring flat. They often walked to college together. Rehan got to know Lavanya through Aman and soon they had formed a group. Aman had been noticing from a while that Rehan was developing a crush on Lavanya, while she remained completely oblivious.  
"Did you check the noticeboard?" asked Lavanya.  
"No, why?", said Aman.  
"There's a new club starting called Elysian. We should join it."  
"What kind of club?"  
" It's a cultural club for building creativity and encouraging talent. It will hold sessions every Friday. There will be stress-relief activities and fun games. According to the notice, it's going to be the coolest club in the college. Karthik has organized it. "  
"Karthik", said Lavanya her eyes going into dreamy mode, "He is such a cutie. Joining the club will be a good opportunity to make friends with him. "  
"You have a crush on Karthik?", asked Aman.  
He had noticed Rehan's face falling at the mention of Karthik.  
"Me? Half the college has a crush on Karthik", she said, laughing, "But I heard he is taken. He is dating that Devika girl."  
Aman looked at Karthik Singh, sitting in a group of about twenty people, laughing and joking. Devika was seated right beside him. He was handsome, had a good dressing sense and was the most popular guy in the class, probably even in the whole college; an active member of each and every club and committee. He organized all kinds of college events and parties. He was the super cool and fun guy everyone loved to be around. From the teachers to the canteen wale bhaiyya, everyone knew him by name, and had a friendly chat whenever they saw him.  
In short, he was the type of person Aman hated. He thought they sweet-talked everyone in order to get their job done. They were pathetic; being fake in order to get attention and recognition. All they wanted to do was to prove themselves to be better than everybody else. They were superficial and any relationships they had were only skin-deep. They always got to take the easy route, since they had 'connections'. They also tended to be full of themselves and have an enormous ego.

Aman wasn't interested in the least to join the club. He imagined a crowd of over-enthusiastic and loud people 'socializing'. He would have to plaster a smile on his face and pretend he was enjoying the games or whatever it was they were planning to do. The thought itself of dealing with a group of unfamiliar faces was exhausting.

"Yaar I'm not interested. You both can go.", he said.  
"Nahi yar Aman don't be like this. You even ditched us on the Fresher's party.", said Lavanya, pouting, "And you really need to loosen up a bit. All you ever do all day is bury your nose in those damn books. You need to learn how to enjoy college life while it lasts or you'll regret it later."  
"Haan Aman, she's right. I think you should try it out. The first meeting will be held tomorrow after college."  
"But-", Aman tried to reason.  
"No butts", Lavanya cut him off, "You're coming with us tomorrow and we'll drag you if we have to."  
Aman sighed. He knew he couldn't win against Lavanya. He knew they meant well, but he didn't know how to make them understand that his idea of fun wasn't 'socializing' with a bunch of random humans.  
"Oh", Lavanya said, looking at her watch, "It's already 10:30. Let's go. We're going to be late for the next lecture."  
As they walked towards their classroom, Aman wondered about what Lavanya had said. Would he regret not enjoying his college life?  
_Oh, well,_ he thought. _I guess trying out one session wouldn't hurt._


	2. First Impressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karthik and Aman have their first conversation. It does not go as expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long to post. I hope you haven't forgotten the first chapter.

_Karthik was running. As fast as his legs could carry him. He was sweating profusely and his feet were wounded by the stones but he barely registered it. He had run out of the house in fear as his father had grabbed an iron rod to beat him up.The only thing he could think was, I need to get away. He risked looking back , and tripped on a rock. His father caught up to him before he could get up. He closed his eyes and curled up into a ball, waited for the beating which he knew was coming. He felt the first blow on his rib. A scream ripped out of him. The pain shot through him, clouding his mind until he could feel nothing else._

  
Karthik awoke, covered in sweat and trembling. He felt like he couldn't breathe, like somebody was trying to strangle him. His heart was beating so fast, he was hyperventilating. He curled up into the foetal position in his bed as the tears flowed nonstop. He stayed like that for a few minutes until the panic attack subsided and he felt like he could breathe again.  
_What the fuck_ , he thought. _Why can't I get over this? Why the fuck am I still scared of that sorry excuse for a dad?_  
He felt weak and pathetic, a coward who screamed and cried, begged and apologized even though he had done nothing wrong. He felt like a weak fucking coward.  
  
He needed to stop this. He needed to talk to somebody. He reached for his phone to call Devika. She was the only one who could make him feel better. He was about to press the call button, but decided against it. It was almost 3 a.m. and she would be sleeping. Though he knew she wouldn't mind being woken up in the middle of the night, she'd even be ready to come over if he needed it, he really didn't want to cause her any more trouble than he already had. It wasn't her fault he was such a pathetic mess.  
  
Karthik put his phone away and lay down on his bed. He knew sleep won't be coming any time soon after such an episode.   
Karthik simply stared into the darkness, and felt so utterly alone.  
  
***  
  
"Why are you late?", asked an annoyed Devika, who had been waiting for Karthik for the past twenty minutes.  
"Sorry yaar, I woke up late. Couldn't sleep well last night", said Karthik.  
Devika softened at that, "Did you have a nightmare again?"  
"No", he lied. He didn't want her to worry.  
Devika narrowed her eyes, clearly not buying it.  
"Karthik", she said "You know I can catch your lies just by looking at your expressions, right?"  
"Arey why would I lie to you?", he said "Let's go to class or Sir won't let us enter" and pulled her into the classroom.  
As Karthik sat in the classroom, he sighed. He had managed to avoid her lecture for now, but he knew she would bring it up later.  
Devika was his childhood best friend, and the only person who truly understood him. Sure, he had loads of 'friends' in college, but did they even know him? They only knew what he chose to show them, which was the confident, funny and carefree Karthik.  
Karthik had been forced to grow up at a very young age. He had learnt that exposing your weaknesses and vulnerabilities to the world will only make you a target for bullies. And he didn't want to hide. He had made himself become confident and strong, used humour as a coping mechanism. It had shaped his personality as an extrovert.  
  
He spotted a boy on the first bench, paying rapt attention to the professor and answering questions. _Aman_ , he thought, _wasn't that his name?_  
Karthik had noticed Aman many times usually alone in the library or with his two friends. Though they were in the same class, they had never talked. There was something about this boy that attracted Karthik, he couldn't understand why. He was a complete nerd, way too simple to be Karthik's type.  
He always dressed plain and neat, not a hair out of place. Yes, he was cute, but in a subtle way. He enjoyed solitude and preferred to stay in the background. The first time Karthik had seen him, Aman was sitting in the library, completely engrossed in a book. His hands holding the book reverently, he was on the last few pages. Karthik got the feeling that if there was a bomb blast in the neighbouring building, he wouldn't notice. As he read the last page, a gentle smile on his lips, and a his eyes wet with tears.  
_Was this boy really crying while reading a book in the college library?_ Karthik had thought. He looked away before Aman closed the book and put it in his bag, took a minute to compose himself before walking out.  
It was a good thing he was so immersed in the book, Karthik thought, or he would have been caught staring.  
He had a very calm and soothing aura about him and an earnestness in his eyes. He was easily readable, like an open book.  
He resolved to talk to him when he got the chance.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Aman was in a foul mood. He'd had a fight with his parents. They tried to control every aspect of his life, even from hundreds of miles away. This time, they had asked him to stay away from girls and not to get into a relationship since they wanted him to marry a 'susheel' and 'sanskaari' girl who belonged to the same caste. As if he was even interested in girls. Nevertheless, he was nearly 21 years old and he didn't need his parents to dictate his life. On top of that, Lavanya and Rehan were nowhere to be seen. They weren't even receiving his calls. He also had that stupid club meeting to worry about.  
He was contemplating ditching the meeting and going home, when he noticed Karthik Singh approaching him.  
"Hey, Aman", he said.  
"What?", he replied, annoyed.  
_Of all the people in the world, why did Karthik Singh want to talk to him?_  
"Why are you always so quiet?", asked Karthik.  
_Not that question_ , thought Aman. This wasn't the first time he'd been asked that question and it pissed him off to no end.  
"Why do you care? Mind your own business. Besides people like you do more than enough talking for all of us", he snapped.  
That made Karthik angry.  
"Ohh I get it now. You think you're better than everyone else, huh? Mr.Know-it-all. Always sitting on the first bench and kissing the teacher's ass. "  
Aman was seething with rage now.  
"You're the fakest person in this college. I bet even your parents will be ashamed if you showed your real self."  
Karthik couldn't control his anger anymore.  
"You don't know anything, Aman. Don't you fucking dare judge me.", he said as he grabbed Aman by his collar and pinned him to the nearest wall.  
Suddenly, he was aware of how close they were, their breaths were mingling. He also noticed Aman was staring at his lips.  
By then Devika noticed what was happening and ran to them, pulling Karthik away from Aman.  
"Stay the fuck away from me, Karthik Singh", said Aman as he straightened his shirt and walked off.  
  
_What an asshole_ , thought Karthik. _I can't believe I thought he was cute._

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know your thoughts in the comments!


	3. Is this an apology?

Aman walked towards college, thinking about the previous day's events. _That arrogant prick,_ he thought. _What did he think of himself? And he had the audacity to grab my collar? I'd have punched him in the face if Devika hadn't interrupted._  
He had been so pissed off that day. He had recounted what had happened to Rehan and Lavanya. They had helped calm him down somewhat but he was still in no mood to attend the club meeting. And seeing as he was in a foul mood, they hadn't forced him to, either.   
He reached the college building and looked at his watch. He was early. Rehan and Lavanya would be arriving in 15 minutes. He found a bench to sit and wait, when Devika came and sat beside him.  
"Did your boyfriend send you here to threaten me? ", he asked.  
"No, I just wanted to talk to you. Also, he's not my boyfriend."  
"What do you want to talk about?"  
" I wanted to let you know that what you said to him about his parents was seriously not cool."  
" Well he was the one who started it by asking arrogant questions"   
"Yes, I know he can be stupid sometimes. But he didn't mean to be rude. The thing is, he doesn't really have parents who care about him. His mother died when he was five. And his father was an alcoholic who beat him up all the time. That's the reason he lost his cool when you brought his parents into the argument. "  
Aman was dumbfounded at this information. He could never have guessed that Karthik Singh had such a dark childhood.   
"Oh", said Aman, "Do you want me to apologize to him?"   
"No, that's your choice. I just wanted to let you know as I get a feeling you're not a bad guy. And please don't tell Karthik that I talked to you or he'll give me hell about it.", she said as she got up.   
"Okay, thanks.", he said   
"See you around", she said and walked away.   
Soon Lavanya and Rehan appeared and they went to class.   
Aman couldn't stop thinking about what Devika had said. Did he really hurt Karthik's feelings? Why was he feeling bad when Karthik was the one who had started the fight?  
He noticed Karthik in the hallway talking to Devika. He was leaning on a wall, both hands in his pockets. Somehow, he looked sad today; his smile didn't quite reach his eyes.   
This was the first time he'd looked at Karthik, like, really looked at him. He couldn't help noticing how attractive he was. Tall and lean, with that tattoo on his neck. Black hair that fell across his forehead. Dark eyes that sparkled when he laughed. And that dimple that appeared on his cheek when he smiled. Suddenly, he was transported to the memory when he was pushed to the wall. How his lips were close enough to kiss..   
_Snap out of it Aman,_ he internally slapped himself. _Fucking pull yourself together. How pathetic are you, thirsting over that dickhead? There's no way you were attracted to him._  
He pushed all those thoughts of Karthik out of his head. However, he still couldn't help feeling uneasy about what Devika had said, as much as he tried. He couldn't shake the feeling that he'd done something wrong. There was no way he would apologize. It would mean accepting defeat and he could just imagine the self-satisfied, shit-eating grin of triumph over Karthik's face. Aman wanted to punch that stupid grin off his face.   
_No, apologizing was not an option_ , he thought and tried his best to forget about it.  
The next day was a holiday, and Aman still couldn't forget. He tried to immerse himself in his books, listened to music, even tried watching a web series. But something kept nagging at him at the back of his mind. Was it guilt?   
_Oh, for God's sake,_ thought Aman.   
He knew he had to do something about it if he wanted some peace of mind. He cursed himself for being such an oversensitive idiot.  
Since apologizing face to face was out of the question, maybe he could leave him a text message? 

He found Karthik's number in the class group chat and clicked on it.   
_I'm not doing it for Karthik,_ he told himself . _I just want to clear my conscience._  
He carefully drafted a message. 

'Karthik, this is Aman here. I wanted to apologize for what I said that day. I was out of line. Now before you start feeling all self-righteous, let me tell you this doesn't mean I am stooping before you. I am simply clearing my side. I still hate your guts and want to stay as far away from you as possible. '

He hesitated before pressing the send button.  
 _Fuck it ,_ he thought _Just send it and get it over with. He'll probably leave you on read and you don't have to talk to him ever again._  
He pressed 'send', put his phone aside and continued watching his web series.

After an hour, he felt his phone vibrate. He checked to see it was a message from Karthik.  
Karthik: "Am I reading this right? Mr.High-and-Mighty Aman Tripathi is APOLOGIZING?! "  
 _That smug bastard,_ thought Aman, immediately regretting messaging him.  
Aman just sent him the middle finger emoji.  
Karthik: "Well this is no way to apologize. I won't accept it"   
Aman: "Do you think I care?"  
Karthik: "Yes"  
Aman: "Well then you're wrong. I don't give a fuck"   
Karthik: "You do. You should apologize to me in person if you want me to forgive you"  
Aman: "In your dreams"  
Karthik: "Alright then, suit yourself"  
Aman read his message and logged off.   
He let out an exasperated sigh. He was mad at Karthik for being such an insufferable prick, but he was more mad at himself for letting it affect him so much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys. I feel so demotivated right now and I feel like I'm writing shit. If you feel this fic is any good and worth continuing, please let me know in the comments. If you think its no good then let me know that too. Thank you for reading!


	4. New Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Sorry for delaying this chapter so much. I was suffering from a writer's block. Thank you so much for your encouragement and support! It motivated me to continue this fic. Those who left comments, you'll are the best!<3

Karthik had been shocked, to say the least, when he had read the apology message from Aman.  
He respected people who didn't let their ego stop them from apologizing when they realized they are wrong. Not many people could do that. Though Aman's message had been far from a humble apology, he appreciated it. Not that he'd ever admit it out loud.

Weeks passed, and Aman and Karthik stayed out of each other's way for the most part. Devika and Rehan had become good friends with Karthik through the club. They sometimes called him over during lunch or just to chat in the hallway before lecture starts. When that happened Aman tried to move away quietly, and Lavanya noticed and tried to stop him and reprimanded him for it. He could see Karthik enjoyed watching this. He sometimes felt like Karthik came over just to annoy him.

Then the exams approached, and as usual Aman was the topper. Karthik barely managed to pass most of his subjects as he wasn't very good at studies. He was also laden with a lot of responsibilities as he had been elected as the Overall General Secretary of the college. It was no surprise, seeing how popular he was. 

One day, Aman was summoned by the HOD. He was told that the college had been selected for an Innovation Award; and as the topper of the college, would he like to represent the college at the Ceremony that would be held in Bangalore. The trip would be fully funded by the college.  
Aman knew that Karthik would also be present. The last thing he wanted was to be around him. But if he attended the ceremony it would be a good point to add in his resume and student profile. He decided to put his personal feelings aside and attend the ceremony.

***

They reached Bangalore by flight the previous night of the ceremony. Karthik and Aman were assigned a room and the Principal and the professor who had accompanied them stayed in another room.   
_Ofcourse._ Aman sighed. He'd be sharing a room with Karthik. _It's only for a day, thank God_ . 

Once they got the room keys they went in and settled in. Aman went to the bathroom for a shower and when he returned he saw Karthik had made a huge mess on the bed.   
"What are you doing Karthik?", he asked, already irritated. He was always neat and tidy, and disliked chaos and untidiness.  
"I'm trying to search for my soap.", he said, his head bent into his suitcase, as he pulled out random things and threw it on the bed.  
"For God's sake Karthik. I would highly appreciate it if you don't make a mess of this room. Don't put your stuff on my side of the bed", said Aman angrily.  
"Don't worry I'll clean up your precious bed space", he said as he pushed all the stuff from Aman's side to his own.  
"It hasn't even been an hour and you've already managed to ruin my mood. Isn't that quite an acheivement now?"  
"Being in such a bad mood all the time isn't good for your health, you know", said Karthik.   
"Maybe if you weren't such a dickhead, I wouldn't be in a bad mood."  
"I fail to understand how Lavanya and Rehan tolerate your shitty attitude. You're such a cranky brat."  
"I don't remember asking for your opinion"  
"Why do I have to share a room with you, of all people?", asked Karthik, exasperated.  
"Trust me, I'm not dying to share a room with you either. I can't wait to get away from you"  
Aman lay down on the bed and sighed. He hoped this trip would be over soon. He was tired from the journey and sleep soon took over him.

  
***

Aman awoke to the sound of sobbing. He saw Karthik beside him, hugging his knees to his chest, head down and eyes shut, shaking as violent sobs racked through his body.  
"Hey", said Aman as he reached out a hand to touch his shoulder. Karthik immediately flinched and moved away from Aman.  
Aman wondered what was happening. _It looks like Karthik is having a panic attack_ , he thought. Aman was no stranger to panic attacks. He used to suffer from it himself in his teenage years.  
He moved closer to Karthik and tried once again.  
"Hey Karthik" he said, "Hey, It's okay"  
He put both his hands on his shoulders. "Look at me, Karthik", he said. "Karthik"  
Karthik simply tightened his arms around his knees and screwed his eyes shut tighter. He wanted to be left alone. With the exception of Devika, he didn't want anyone to see him in his most vulnerable state, definitely not Aman.  
"Karthik open your eyes, and look at me", said Aman, shifting his hands to either side of Karthik's neck.  
"Karthik!"  
Karthik reluctantly lifted his head up to look at Aman, his tear stained face had an expression of unadulterated fear, a lost look in his eyes.  
He was sweating, shaking and gasping for breath, unable to stop the tears.  
"Focus on me, Karthik", said Aman, holding Karthik's face close to his and looking into his eyes with a calm, persistent expression. He knew Karthik needed some grounding, something other than his thoughts to focus on.  
"Take deep breaths", he said, "and count from 1 to 10."  
Karthik did what was told, and Aman encouraged him, never taking his eyes off Karthik's and counted along with him.  
At the end of it, Karthik's breathing had evened out and his heart rate was slowly returning to normal. His tears still continued but he had stopped shaking.  
Aman pulled Karthik towards him and rubbed his back in soothing circular motions. Karthik let himself be comforted, rested his face on Aman's shoulder and took in the scent of detergent from Aman's shirt. After a few minutes Karthik's tears stopped and he pulled away.  
"Are you feeling better now?", asked Aman.  
"Yes", said Karthik.  
Aman poured a glass of water from the bedside table and offered it to Karthik, who gulped it down like a parched man.  
"Does this happen to you often?", asked Aman.  
"Sometimes", he replied, "It's triggered by a dream."  
"Do you want to talk about it?"  
"Not really"  
"Okay. Let's get some sleep then. We have a long day tomorrow."  
Aman switched off the bedside lamp and they both lay down on the bed and covered up inside the blankets.  
"Goodnight, Karthik. "  
"Goodnight. "

***

Aman opened his eyes as the rays of sunlight hit his face. He took a moment to remember where he was as he saw the unfamiliar surroundings.  
He tried to get up and realized he couldn't move. He looked down to see half of Karthik's body was on top of his. Much to his annoyance, Aman was effectively trapped by an arm and a leg on top of him.  
"What the hell Karthik, get off me", he said and roughly pushed Karthik off. Karthik didn't even notice it, he slept like a log. Aman got up to use the bathroom.

Karthik had just woken up, was sitting on the bed trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes when Aman appeared out of the bathroom after his bath, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. Karthik's eyes widened at the sight, all the sleepiness immediately disappeared. His eyes roamed over Aman's neck and collarbones, his chest and lean stomach that disappeared into the towel. His wet hair fell over his forehead which he was currently drying with another towel. His dark eyes, which he suddenly noticed, were staring right back at him.  
 _Shit,_ he thought. _Fuck fuck fuck fuck. Did he just notice me checking him out?_ Karthik immediately got up and ran into the bathroom,trying to keep a straight face and hide his blush.

 _Well, that was strange,_ thought Aman. _Why did he run off into the washroom after he saw me? He definitely looked embarassed? Did he get morning wood or something? Or was he checking me out?_ He involuntarily blushed at that thought. And immediately got mad at himself for it.  
 _What the hell, Aman. Not this again. There's no way you're attracted to him. He's an arrogant jerk. You hate him._  
They spent the remainder of the time together in awkward silence. When they were ready to leave the room, Karthik stopped Aman.  
"Aman", he said.  
"What is it?"  
"Thanks. For last night "  
"Shut up, Karthik. I didn't do anything for you. You were being so noisy I couldn't sleep.", said Aman as they walked out and he locked the room.  
If Karthik hadn't been paying close attention, he might have missed the tiniest hint of a smile on Aman's lips as he said that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please continue leaving kudos and comments, they motivate me to write.<3


	5. First Aid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello peeps! I'm sorry for taking so long to post. I got involved in other things and didn't find time to write.  
> I am not good at writing fight scenes but I've done my best. Please excuse any mistakes. That said, please enjoy!

Karthik stood outside the college gate waiting for Devika. Everyone had gone home early as exams were starting the next day. However, Karthik wasn't worried. He could rely on Devika for teaching him enough to pass. She usually came second in class, after Aman who always bagged first place.  
_Well,_ he thought, _what's the use of having a topper as a best friend if you can't take advantage of it?_  
_No kidding, Karthik. You'd have failed at a lot more than exams if she wasn't around. You really need to appreciate her more._  
As he was thinking of a gift for Devika's upcoming birthday, he noticed a commotion nearby. It looked like a fight was about to happen.  
He walked closer to check it out.  
_Was that Aman?_ Karthik's interest instantly piqued and he walked over to them.  
There was an older man, not quite taller than Karthik, but his muscles clearly protruding from his tight shirt, hair slightly long. He had a tight grip on Aman's arm, tight enough to bruise.  
"Fucking let go of me", said Aman  
An anger rose inside Karthik, whose origin even he didn't fully understand. He suddenly felt a fierce need to protect Aman.  
He placed a hand on the man's shoulder and said in a threatening voice, "Hey. You heard what he said. Take your filthy hands off."  
Aman shot him a look that clearly said 'Just what the hell do you think you're doing?'. Karthik promptly ignored it.  
The guy turned towards Karthik."Are you his bodyguard? Or his whore? Back the fuck off before I break every bone in your flimsy body"  
"Oh yeah? Make me"  
The guy threw a punch to Karthik's cheek. Before Karthik could recover he grabbed his arm and twisted it and smirked at him.  
With the other arm, Karthik threw a strong punch on the guy's belly. Karthik's body might be flimsy, but he knew how to pack a good punch. After all, he had taken up martial arts in school.  
The man doubled over in pain.  
All of this had happened so fast, Aman couldn't help but watch in shocked silence. Now he came back to his senses.  
"Sajid, get the hell out of here before I call the police and file a complaint of stalking and harassment.", he said  
"Fine. I'm leaving for now. But don't think this is over."  
He gave one last look towards Karthik, mounted his bike and drove away.  
Aman turned towards Karthik who was cradling his arm with the other and a bruise was starting to form on his face below a cut which was probably from the guy's ring.  
"What the hell was that Karthik? Who told you to interfere in my fucking business?"  
"Hey, I saved you from that asshole. A normal person would say thank you and treat me to dinner", said Karthik with a cocky smile.  
"Saved me, my ass! I knew how to handle him and I was, until you rudely barged in. All you fucking did was make him mad!"  
"Aman, that's how you deal with bullies. Now can we please go somewhere where we won't be drenched. "  
Indeed, it had started to rain and it wouldn't be long before it turned into a complete downpour.  
Aman huffed in exasperation.  
"Come on, my flat is this way"  
They jogged towards the entrance of the adjacent building and entered the lift where Aman pressed the buttons.  
Karthik could still feel waves of angry irritation from Aman so he thought it wise to keep his mouth shut.  
They reached the flat and Aman fished the keys out of his pocket to open the door. Once they were inside, Aman pointed towards the couch and said, "You just sit there quietly. If you mess with my stuff, I will kill you."  
"Okay..chill", said Karthik as he sat down.  
That earned a death glare from Aman who went to his bedroom to search for first aid.  
Karthik looked around the room. It was impeccably clean and tidy. Not a speck of dust to be seen. There was a large bookshelf full of fiction and non-fiction books, sectioned according to genre. The theme of the room was beige and brown and a single plant sat on the window-sill. It was quiet except for the sound of the rain and it faintly smelled of cleaning liquid.The room had a very calming aura, so unlike its owner. It oddly reminded Karthik of a therapist's office.  
It was so different from his own flat which was littered with clothes, books, booze bottles, empty chips packets and God knows what else.  
He remembered a certain night few weeks ago in a hotel room where he was having a panic attack and Aman had helped him calm down. His voice had been the only soothing sound in the strom of emotions in his mind. He had followed that voice like a beacon of light in pitch black darkness as he helped ground him to reality.  
That night he had recognized something in Aman. Kindness. He knew it was hidden beneath a lot of layers, but it was there.  
Karthik had known very little of it in his life. So he decided he would latch onto Aman, even if it meant he had to weather his cold taunts and rude words. He wouldn't let go, not before Aman trusted him enough to show his true self.

Soon Aman returned with a bag in his hand and sat down next to Karthik.  
"Turn this way and lean over. And don't move."  
Karthik did as he was told.  
Aman put some antiseptic on a cotton pad and dabbed it on Karthik's cheek.  
"Ow!Owww!That hurts. Can't you do it gently?"  
"Shut up. You deserve it for meddling in other people's business."  
"Hey I was only trying to help you."  
At that, Aman lowered his hand and glared at Karthik.  
"Help!? What if he had seriously injured you? Huh? Great help it would have been!"  
Karthik couldn't help the sly grin on his face.  
"Wait a minute...Aman Tripathi, are you worried about me?"  
"In your dreams, idiot. I just don't want to deal with your whiny ass if something happened"  
Aman continued cleaning up and dressing the wound. Karthik couldn't help staring at his face, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration, and those perfectly kissable lips.  
_How is it possible for him to look this cute even while angry?_  
After it was done, Aman looked into his eyes. _Shit, he was caught staring. Again._

For a long second, their eyes met. Karthik's heart skipped a beat, a blush rising to his cheeks.  
Thankfully, Aman looked away and grabbed Karthik's arm to inspect it. It was a bit swollen, but nothing was broken. It would be just fine in a couple of days.  
"I'll get you some ice", said Aman and walked off to the fridge. Karthik was too flustered to give him a cocky reply, so he waited silently, releasing the breath he didn't know he was holding.  
Soon, Aman returned with a few icecubes wrapped in a cloth and handed it to him. Karthik accepted it and placed it on his throbbing arm. He could also feel the beginnings of a bad headache.  
Seeing that he was in pain, Aman asked,"Do you want a pain-killer?"  
"No, I'm good"  
"Okay. If you need one, it's in the first drawer", said Aman, pointing towards a cabinet."I'm going in to study now. You can leave once the rain stops. Just don't disturb me."  
"Okay"  
Aman walked into his bedroom and closed the door. Karthik sat there for a while wondering what to do as the pain worsened. On second thought, he decided to take the painkiller and downed it with a glass of water he got from the kitchen. Then he lay down on the couch , waiting for the rain to stop. It was raining cats and dogs by now, didn't seem to stop anytime soon. He tossed and turned on the couch till he found a comfortable position and closed his eyes.  
After a while, he was aware of footsteps entering the room, but he felt too tired and sleepy to open his eyes. He then felt a thick, soft blanket being laid on top of him. It was then carefully arranged to cover his feet properly. He unconsciously snuggled into it, immediately feeling extremely comfortable and warm. He hummed softly in contentment and soon drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much, lovely people, for reading this story!  
> Please leave comments and kudos and let me know what you thought of this chapter.  
> See you next time:)


	6. Mechanics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karthik is going SOFT for Aman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops. Sorry again for the late update 。゜゜(´Ｏ`) ゜゜。I promise I'll try to be more consistent in the future.  
> You probably forgot what happened in the previous chapter so I'll give a recap. Karthik interfered as he noticed some guy mistreating Aman which ended up in him getting injured. Aman brought him home, although begrudgingly, treated his wounds and then Karthik fell asleep on his couch.

Karthik opened his eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. He took a moment to remember he was in Aman’s flat, he had fallen asleep on the couch after Aman had tended to his wounds. He remembered the way his hands had worked gently on him, even as sharp words spilled out of his mouth. He looked down to see the blanket draped on top of him, it must have been Aman. Karthik blushed. For all his crudeness, he was actually kind of...sweet.

The rain had stopped and he noticed it was dark as he glanced outside the window.

How long had he been asleep? He checked the time on his phone. 10:26 pm

 _Shit._ He had an exam tomorrow and he hadn't studied a single word. He had been planning to get Devika to help him study but it was too late for that now.

He sighed. He was probably going to fail tomorrow's exam. Unless.. He could ask Aman to help.

Oh no. There's no way in hell he would agree. But it was his last hope, so he might as well give it a shot.

He got up and gingerly knocked on Aman's bedroom door. After a few seconds, Aman answered the door, annoyed at having been disturbed.

"Why are you still here?"

"I was..um..wondering if you would help me study for tomorrow's exam?"

"Why on earth would I do that?"

"Because I haven't studied a single word and I'm probably going to fail?"

"What do I care if you fail? That's what happens when you're not serious about studies and fool around the entire semester."

"Come on! Please! I rescued you from that big, scary dude! Like your knight in shining armour! You owe me one"

"What!? You didn't 'rescue' anyone. You just got injured because of your own stupidity."

Karthik didn't have a reply to that, so he just looked at Aman with pleading eyes.

Aman sighed. "Fine. Come in"

He had almost finished the portion so he figured teaching this idiot might serve as revision for himself as well. That was why he agreed. It was definitely not because he couldn't refuse the puppy eyes Karthik was making at him. Absolutely not.

Karthik's face lit up. "Thank you! I will forever be indebted to your-"

"Shut up and get the extra chair from the living room"

Karthik did as he was told, and set the extra chair at Aman's study table. He was way too happy to have a chance at passing to snap back at Aman.

The room was simple and incredibly neat, there stood a well-made double bed, and an organized dressing table, except for the study table which was a mess of textbooks, note-books, stray sheets and post-it notes, along with pens and highlighters of various colours.

They sat down at the study table and Aman asked, "Alright. Which topic do you need help with?"

"Um..all topics?", answered Karthik sheepishly.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now? What do you even do during lectures?"

"I sit at the last bench, and its not exactly the best environment for studying"

"God, Karthik, you're going to be the death of me"

"Just teach me the important questions. Just what I need to pass"

Aman sighed for what felt like the millionth time that day and pulled out his meticulously written, colour coded notes, handing them to Karthik.

"Woahh..these are amazing. So easy to read and understand. Guess I shouldn't expect anything less from the class topper"

Aman rolled his eyes."That's the point of making them, dumbass. Read through it and then we'll solve the numericals."

It turned out Karthik absolutely sucked at anything involving mathematics. He made the silliest mistakes, which earned fresh glares and insults from Aman.

"How can you be stupid enough to make calculation mistakes while using a fucking calculator!?"

"Hey we can't all be as smart as Mr.Class Topper! Cut me some slack!"

Aman had to carefully explain to him each and every step and formula in detail. Karthik couldn't help but think Aman looked sexy talking in all that smart-sounding technical jargon. In fact, Aman had to explain it to him three times, because he kept getting distracted by Aman's lips, his shining eyes, and the way his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. It was obvious Aman was passionate about Mechanics and Karthik found it insanely attractive watching him talk on about this formula and that theory, adding interesting tidbits about some scientist, though it was irrelevant to the portion. It was the longest Karthik had seen him talk.

Karthik gulped, chasing away his blush, and internally chastised himself to focus on studying if he had any hope of passing.

Suddenly Karthik's stomach made a grumbling noise.

Aman smirked."You didn't have lunch,huh?"

"..No"

"I'll make something. You focus on those notes"

"I can help?"

"You'll probably just burn down my kitchen. I'll see if I have any instant noodles left."

Soon they had taken a break from their studies, and were sitting cross-legged on the floor with bowls of delicious, steaming ramen.

They blew on each bite before eating, enjoying the food and the quiet.

Karthik was the one who broke the silence.

"So..who was he?"

Aman visibly stiffened, his hand stopping midway between the bowl and his mouth. He knew perfectly well who Karthik was talking about, but he still had to ask.

"Who?"

"The big, scary dude I valiantly defeated in order to save you"

Aman would have rolled his eyes at that, except he was too anxious.

He didn't want to answer the question. He didn't want to reveal this part of himself. He could always lie, but decided against it, it went against his nature. Besides, he told himself, it was nothing to be ashamed of, and anyone who thought otherwise could fuck right off.

"He was Sajid, my ex-boyfriend.", he said as he kept his eyes trained on Karthik, carefully observing his reaction.

Karthik's eyes widened in shock, his jaw dropped.

"Are you...?"

"Yes, I'm gay. You got a problem with that?", Aman had now folded his hands in a defensive position, his eyes angry, as if daring him to insult him with a homophobic comment.

"No, ofcourse not. Jeez, calm down", he held up his palms to pacify him, "I'm not judging you or anything"

Aman relaxed and focused on his noodles once again, as relief flooded his body. He felt an unexplainable warmth and gratefulness in being accepted for his sexuality, not many people had extended him that welcome.

"Who all are you out to?", asked Karthik.

"My family is homophobic, so I haven't had the courage to come out to them yet", he said, a pained expression settling on his face.

Karthik wanted nothing more than to wipe off that expression. He wished he could tell him not to worry, that they will accept him, they're his family after all, that everything will be alright. But he couldn't. He, of all people, knew that having blood relations didn't promise love or acceptance. He'd rather not give Aman any false hopes, so he stayed silent.

"They'll probably disown me when they find out. My sister knows, though, she's cool. And ofcourse, Rehan and Lavanya. Nobody else knows, so don't go around spreading it around the college"

"I won't, I'm not that stupid, you know"

Aman smirked,"I wouldn't be too sure about that"

Karthik didn't have a cocky retort this time, he was just glad to see Aman smile.

He briefly pondered whether to come out to Aman about his bisexuality, or _would that be too forward?_ _Would it be awkward? Would Aman think he was trying to flirt or something? That would be embarrassing.._

Aman's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Finish up fast, we've got a lot of portion to cover"

_Alright. That would be a conversation for another time then._

Once the eating and washing was done, they got back to studies. Aman explained to Karthik the rest of the concepts and gave him a few more numericals to solve while he pulled out a reference book to revise a few topics. After he is done, he looks up to see Karthik has fallen asleep at the table, his head resting on the notebook. Aman pokes at his shoulder to wake him up.

"Oi! Wake up!"

Poking isn't helping, so he shakes his shoulder.

"Get up unless you want a nasty cramp in your neck, you idiot!"

Aman knew first-hand what sleeping in such an unnatural position can result in. The shaking seems to have worked, and Karthik raises his head, looks around the room confusedly as if trying to figure out where he is, eyes finally resting on Aman's face. His hair is mussed as he squints up at Aman for a few seconds as if he was seeing an alien from outer space. Aman can't help thinking he looks like a lost puppy.

"Whassa time?"

"2:30 am"

"I should be ...heading home", said Karthik trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes.

"Just sleep on the bed for now. I've set the alarm for 6 am, you can go home then"

It would be dangerous for Karthik to go home alone at this time of night in his sleep-deprived state. He could be attacked by robbers, terrorists, or even ghosts..who knows?. His safety was the only reason Aman had asked him to stay. It was definitely not because he had strangely come to enjoy the idiot's company and didn't want him to leave.(Yeah, right. Keep telling yourself that, Aman)

"Okay..Could you lend me something comfortable to sleep in?"

"Uhm..wait"

Aman turned around to rummage in his closet for something that would fit Karthik, as he was slightly bigger than Aman. He found an oversized sweatshirt and a pair of pyjama pants, and turned around to toss them onto the bed, only to see a sleepy , shirtless Karthik in his bedroom.

Aman gulped, as a blush rose to his cheeks. He took in Karthik's sleek neck, well-built chest and toned abs. He wasn't bulky by any means, but it was clear he worked out regularly.

 _Perfect_ , thought Aman.

_Wait-what!? Goddamnit Aman, get it together, are you a fucking pervert?_

He internally berated himself for having such thoughts and was about to bark at Karthik what the hell he thought he was doing, when he noticed the scars on his body and the words died down in his throat. They were faint and old, almost unnoticeable in the dim light. Some were small, which looked like cigarette butts had been put out on his chest. Some looked like they were from cuts and some were large, and Aman didn't even want to imagine how they got there.

Karthik's study-saturated and sleep-addled brain had forgotten Aman's admission from earlier and it hadn't occured to him that it might be inappropriate to undress in front of him. He was used to change clothes in front of his guy friends all the time, in the locker rooms after basketball practice. He just wanted to get out of his uncomfortable clothes. He hadn't even noticed Aman's staring and was just about to unbutton his jeans when Aman's hand gripped his wrist to stop him.

This seemed to jolt him from his sleepiness and he was suddenly aware of Aman's closeness and his own state of undress.

Aman gently placed his hand on a scar on Karthik's chest as he looked into his eyes. Karthik couldn't look away from him. His heart threatened to jump out of his chest and a chill ran down his body. His skin burned wherever Aman touched it, his hand that was still holding his wrist, his other hand light on his chest. He could easily kiss Aman if he simply bent his head a few inches. He wondered how those lips would feel against his own. Would they be warm? Would they feel as soft as they looked?

"Karthik", whispered Aman, breaking him out his reverie.

"How did you get these scars?"

Karthik flinched at those words and immediately withdrew, taking a step back.

"Uhm. They're from a very long time ago"

He quickly grabbed the sweatshirt from the bed and pulled it on, then grabbed the pants and walked into the washroom before Aman could ask anything else.

A million questions were running through Aman's mind. Who had hurt Karthik? Or did he hurt himself? He remembered Karthik having a nightmare resulting in an anxiety attack in the hotel room in Bangalore. What was the nightmare about? Were these scars a part of that trauma? He said they're from a long time ago..does that mean he was a child at the time? But what kind of horrible person could hurt a child like that? He clenched his fists as he felt an anger raging inside his chest at the thought. He wanted to punch something, or someone.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself. He wanted answers to those questions, but now was not the time. Karthik was clearly uncomfortable and didn't want to talk about it. Besides, they both had an exam to write the next day, and they needed the few hours of sleep they could get. He switched off the lights and got into bed. Karthik joined him soon, taking his place at the opposite side of the bed.

Neither of them said another word as they fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aman had been bullied a lot in his school days for being gay, so he's insecure about it and has a hard time revealing his sexuality to others. It took him a lot of courage to even come out to Rehan and Lavanya. He's working towards stopping himself from thinking of being gay as some kind of flaw in himself and his friends are helping him through it.<3  
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter:)  
> Leave a comment to let me know what you think! o(^-^)o


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